


Witchy Ways

by Abby_Ebon



Series: It's The End of the World [7]
Category: Zombieland (2009)
Genre: M/M, Magic Revealed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-02
Updated: 2012-07-02
Packaged: 2017-11-09 01:10:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/449591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abby_Ebon/pseuds/Abby_Ebon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Zombieland, Tallahassee(/)Columbus, Little Rock, Wichita, "he's a witch" "yeah, but he's our witch, so cut him down" (Yes, i want Columbus with weird powers, no, i don't know why :D)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Witchy Ways

Columbus levitates above their bed one week to the day before they find a handful of survivors, there are ten of them – but when Columbus wakes that day, Tallahassee doesn't say a word, because he is afraid. In a world of zombies, sure, powers will keep Columbus safe –but for every hero is a villain, and Tallahassee can only hope a world's worth of zombie horde is evil enough. Slowly, the rest of their family notices, Little Rock is looking out the window and sad eyed, while Wichita does her best not to see. Columbus bumps his shoulder to hers and smiles worriedly.

"What's wrong?" He asks softly, and then says, "I'm sorry your mom died…." Little Rock never said a word, but doesn't seem to notice as she clings to Columbus in a hug, taking comfort where it is offered. Wichita's eyes meet Tallahassee's in the front seat, but Tallahassee shakes his head and Wichita doesn't say a word- yet. That night, Wichita is gathering firewood, while Tallahassee tags along beside her and back at the camp, Little Rock and Columbus are using the river to wash themselves and the clothes.

"What's wrong with him?" Wichita finally asks, as Tallahassee knows she would, what sort of surprises him is when she looks at him it's with worry and fear in her eyes – for Columbus, not for them, the little family of orphans. Tallahassee finds that right, because Columbus would not hurt them – never, and he's sorry he almost doubted her.

"I don't know, noticed it a night ago – he was floating off the bed, Wichita. I'm starting to think that that show – Sabrina, the teenage witch, had some truth to it. Or whatever, maybe the world just needs some balance, zombies to witches, or something, but…Wichita, he doesn't know." We got to keep it quiet, between us, is left unsaid because if Wichita is smart enough to read between the lines, that Tallahassee has been sleeping with Columbus, then she's smart enough to hear what remains unsaid.

"You're afraid for him." Wichita says it like it's an accusation, and maybe it is. Maybe he wants Columbus to realize they've known about what's going on with him, and still accept him – aren't afraid of him becoming a freak or a witch, before Columbus does. It won't take long – Columbus is smart, smarter then either of them, sometimes.

It takes three days, by then, Little Rock is amusing herself by having silent one-sided conversations for hours with Columbus, (Wichita smiling a little because Little Rock is opening up to someone, finally – and she'd been worried about her little sister and the dreaded teenage years to come) and he doesn't notice she hasn't said a word until he looks at her face – it's a curious habit Columbus has, that, saying things but not looking while the other is speaking, and it's a trait that goes with the silent conversation and the not so silent side - but he looks, and his eyes go wide and Little Rock claps a hand to her mouth, knowing she's let the cat out of the bag without ever actually saying a word.

"Pull over - going to be sick." Columbus says abruptly, and Tallahassee heeds his advice, Columbus struggles to get out before remembering that he's wearing a seat belt and then falls out of the vehicle more so then climbs, and he's throwing up until he's dry heaving and choking and then it becomes sobs.

"Hey, hey, Columbus – it's okay! It's fine!" Wichita says, while Tallahassee rubs his back soothingly.

"How…how can you say that? I've been in her head, talking to her – in her head – what if…what if I've hurt her?" Columbus trembles and shakes, but can not help him self as he leans into Tallahassee's touch.

"You couldn't hurt anyone, why would you? You trust us, and we trust you. It's okay, honest, I…we knew, we've known sense you started sleeping in the air." Little Rock says (out loud this time) and Columbus looks between them, wanting to believe, but so unsure it hurts to look at him.

"How…how can I ever be sure you are all really okay with this, for sure, and it isn't just me making you okay with it?" Columbus asks, and Little Rock visibly rolls her eyes.

"Columbus, you didn't know about, well, you know, your witch-power, until you happened to notice I was having a conversation with you in our minds. I like that; by the way, it's kind of cool." Little Rock mumbles, a little blush on her cheeks, and Columbus only shakes his head, ill looking and fragile, he stands and then he bolts for the forest – Columbus has always – always been the fastest of them, and when he runs they still try to chase him.

"Damn-it, no, get back here spit-fuck!" Tallahassee feels his fear spill out his gut and down and up his spine.

"Come-back, come-back, come-back!" Little Rock is chanting in her head, and they can hear her now because Columbus isn't listening – doesn't want to hear her but doesn't know how to block her out and silence her thoughts.

"Don't leave us! You idiot, we don't want you killed – Columbus!" Wichita hollers from behind them, because even in the midst of a fuck-up break down, someone still has to watch the truck in Zombieland. Tallahassee is a good tracker, but he can't see shit when night falls and Little Rock is shivering but not saying a word about giving up, it tears him in two, and he hates it – but he stops and turns back, and Little Rock who gave up talking a long time ago, only follows. She doesn't say a word, and when they return to Wichita, she only shakes her head. Wichita has been crying, but when Little Rock climbs into the backseat, and cuddles into Columbus's jacket, Wichita's the one that starts driving.

"Where we going, we can't leave him out here…" Tallahassee protests half hearted and broken.

"Columbus always studied the maps with us, he'll know where a town is around here, it's an isolated place, this is, and he'll have to go someplace for supplies, we'll beat him there …." Wichita says, and while Columbus is the one with at least four hours of a head start – they've got Wichita driving, and the advantage.

It's four days too late that they find him, in the town they started out looking in they ran into people and asked them to keep a eye out, gave them their radio frequency, and circled the valley's other little towns in wider and wider circles, desperate and afraid that they might be too late.

Too late because the chatter of "witch hunt" went unheeded and the "burning day" was the very day they returned to that little town and found Columbus starved and stung up on a cross in the middle of town square, wood sticks piled up at his feet – it was an execution, and everyone in town – all ten of them - was there.

Side by side, Wichita and Tallahassee and Little Rock got out of the vehicle, their weapons trained on the people (people, damn-it, not zombies!) surrounding them.

"He's a witch." An old woman sneers at them, her opinion of their loyalty obvious.

"Yeah, but he's our witch, so cut him down…" Wichita says, because she's the only one who's thinking past rage. Wichita isn't quivering in her fury, she's like they are, still and narrow eyed, dangerous and deadly and willing to kill their fellow people for a scrawny spit-fuck that happens to be a witch that Tallahassee loves.

It's three to ten odds, but maybe their willingness to die for a witch speaks for the fact that yeah, the odds aren't good, but Tallahassee and Wichita will make them those odds in their favor because they've got something to lose. Columbus maybe hears them, and looks at them through his hair that's a matted and wet mess.

"Don't." He says, and the ropes around him come loose and he walks off the burning pier, walks to them – to their side, and slips into the vehicle they are going to have to replace because of his blood is on its leather seats. He waits for them, and when Tallahassee is the one who climbs into the back seat with him, he only curls against him and breaths while Tallahassee keeps his eyes and gun on the real freaks.

Wichita drives and Little Rock marks the map with a not a green check mark for survivors, or a black 'x' for ruins, but with a red dot like she wants to blot them out of existence.


End file.
